The D’MADD project has successfully completed the “Climate Data Sharing Platform Development Roadmap and Consultation Workshop.” This was the second workshop aimed at establishing the Climate Data Sharing Platform envisioned in The D’MADD project’s Component 3: “Digital Technologies and Data Platform for Climate Resilience.” The workshop built on stakeholder feedback provided during the first workshop held in September 2024.

Dr. Ibrahim Waheed, Project Manager, began the workshop by acknowledging the contributions of D4D Insights consultants Mr. Aditya and Mr. Shiva in developing the roadmap for the national climate data sharing platform. Dr. Waheed highlighted a significant observation from the first draft of the roadmap: a pervasive lack of data democratization among agencies. He emphasized the critical need for data democratization within agencies involved in climate data sharing. He clarified that data democratization goes beyond mere data sharing or accessibility. It involves an ongoing process where employees gain confidence in working with and discussing data within and between agencies.

"There are three principles to data democratization," Dr. Waheed explained. "First, comfort. Employees must feel comfortable discussing any data, whether climate-related or otherwise, within their teams. Second, confidence. They must have confidence in their ability to talk about data. Third, the right tools. Organizations need the appropriate tools to work with data effectively."

Dr. Waheed stressed the importance of a cultural shift within organizations to achieve true data democratization. "It's all about the culture. We need to democratize data so that people feel good about working with it," he concluded.

Mr. Jerome Bezzina, Sr. Digital Development Specialist of the World Bank and the Task Team Leader for the D’MADD Project, addressed the gathering of stakeholders, highlighting the significance of establishing a unified data sharing platform for climate data. Mr. Bezzina expressed his enthusiasm for the project. "As Dr. Waheed mentioned, this project is vital due to its two main components: government involvement and the establishment of a unified data sharing platform," Mr. Bezzina stated. He explained that the team is working to define the groundwork necessary for managing the platform effectively.